During the Golden Age in the Netherlands, tulip bulbs fetched extraordinary prices in a market bubble called “tulipmania.” Tulips had been introduced in the late 16th century and featured prominently in the lush floral still lifes of the Dutch masters. The bubble collapsed but tulips continued to fascinate artists, gardeners and other lovers of beauty. Cut tulips have a life of their own, often growing an inch after being cut and, being phototropic, arcing toward the light.
Vose Galleries, Garlic Reflected, pastel on paper, 15 x 18", by Janet Monafo.
Larry Preston is a lover of beauty. He says, unapologetically, “I do not paint to be relevant, for an audience or make any statement other than the beauty to be found in the objects I choose to paint. If the viewer chooses to attach some meaning to my work, that would be their prerogative. I find that, in this modern world, there is too little observance of the beauty in our surroundings.”
In Tulips he pairs the flowers with an antique wooden clamp—the ephemeral with the long lasting. The simple beauty of the clamp’s worn, warm wood contrasts with the translucent pink tulip blossoms that show off their subtleties in the bright raking light.
Flowers in the allium genus also grow from bulbs and present globes of purple star-like blossoms. The genus also includes edible bulbs such as garlic, onions, leeks and chives.
Arden Gallery, Silent Elegance, oil on canvas, 32 x 40", by Alexandra Averbach.
Abend Gallery, Roses and Shade, oil on panel, 13.78 x 11.22", by Jon Doran.
Janet Monafo placed garlic bulbs on a shiny plate for her pastel Garlic Reflected. Although I’m sure that she and her husband, Paul Rahilly, enlivened some meals with the tasty garlic, she says, “garlic with stem and remains of roots is more about the visual aspect than the culinary aspect; the stem with the bulb bursting out at the end with its scruffy remains of roots and the clove shapes making small forms within the larger form of the bulb are of visual interest to me; I probably set the garlic by chance, on a reflective plate, one of many in my studio, and it just happened; the contrast in surface and texture of the smooth and shiny silver plate and the papery and relatively rough surface of the garlic, stem and roots, worked for me. The green stickers satisfied my thirst for chroma.” Chroma is a main character in her work and unexpectedly enlivens her monochromatic works with the appearance of a red twist tie, the blue rim of a metal mug and here, the green sticker of the store-bought garlic.
William Baczek Fine Arts, Tulips, oil on panel, 24 x 24", by Larry Preston.
Lotton Gallery, Wild Poppies, oil on canvas, 30 x 30", by Eric Bruni.
Lotton Gallery, Poppies Ephemeral, oil on canvas, 31 x 31", by Eric Bruni.
Large, splendid, lush peonies are the mainstay of many gardens, bouquets and paintings. Alexandra Averbach makes them even more splendid with meticulously crafted large canvases in which they have nothing to compete with except their containers—which are often white or clear glass. In Silent Elegance, large red blossoms take center stage in a white mug in a white setting with just a touch of contrasting green leaves and sepals. They are “bathed in direct sunlight,” she explains. “I am drawn to painting still life not only because I find the subject matter beautiful, but also because of how I feel when I paint. As I paint, the luminous petals of flowers or the round drupelets of a raspberry become a semi-hypnotizing pattern that is very calming and soothing…I wish for my paintings to convey a sense of stillness, as if time is suspended within the painting, and hope the viewer experiences the same sense of tranquility in my work.”
Dennis Perrin, O’Hara & Company, oil on linen, 18 x 24"
RJD Gallery, Peonies #1, pastel on paper, 22 x 16", by Andrea Vargas.
Jon Doran brings the traditional vase, flowers and raking light into the 21st century in paintings that expose the process of their making and a contemporary way of seeing. In Roses and Shade, the softness of the sunlit petals contrasts with the shiny, nearly black leaves which are set against a background of simple, loose brushstrokes of paint. The entire image is broken up as in an unresolved digital signal. He, like Averbach, seeks the “contemplative and quiet.” He says, “I hope to coax the eye into believing the play of light on form, but then call it out and show that it’s just paint on a surface…Hopefully my work isn’t just a mere example of mirror of current zeitgeists that will soon past, but rather it attempts to engage with deeper more fundamental and universal themes of beauty, meaning and purpose.”
Lotton Gallery, Delicate Poppies, oil on canvas, 30 x 30", Eric Bruni.
In the pages of this special section are bounties of lush blooms. Some are in their gardens showing their natural surroundings and others are arranged in still lifes with their fleeting beauty on full display. Regardless of the composition, each is a glimpse into the creative mind of the artist with their style and techniques providing a unique view of everyday flora.
Lotton Gallery in Chicago represents floral artist Eric Bruni, who is new to the gallery’s artist roster. French-born Bruni paints colorful poppies, lavender, daisies in their natural setting, real and imagined. Bruni brings excitement through his fascination with intense color, having them dance and play amongst the floral landscapes he creates. Traveling the many regions of France, he makes each his temporary sanctuary along the way. Bruni finally settled in Côte-d’Or near Dijon, a perfect setting for his paintings reflecting the lavish landscapes of the area. 
Dennis Perrin, Roses with Antique Pitcher, oil on linen, 20 x 16"
RJD Gallery, Peonies #2, pastel on paper, 22 x 16", by Andrea Vargas.
North Hampshire-based artist Dennis Perrin says, “I don’t copy flowers; I don’t even paint flowers. I simply listen to the flowers. My desire when painting is not to simply record or document what is in front of me. It is my fervent desire to be inspired, to imagine and to express my love for the essence of my subject.”
Focusing his floral works on fields of flowers, artist Dick McEvoy explains, “I love painting with the freedom and abandon of the abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell and Jackson Pollock, and then adding a touch of impressionism to paint landscapes that inspire me.” 
Pamela B. Padgett, Monet’s Bouquet, oil, 24 x 24"
Nancy Balmert, Kaneohe Sunburst Plumeria, oil on canvas, 16 x 20"
Sally Ruddy, Rose Triad, oil on canvas, 11 x 14"
The wondrous beauty of nature captivates self-taught artist Nance Franklin. The flowers and botanicals she shows at The Signature Gallery, with locations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Scottsdale, Arizona, capture the personality and depth of color through multiple layers of oil paint. Each painting is solitary, or at most a part of small grouping, yet their intricacies unveil a whole world of their own.
Through March 11, Nancy Balmert’s artwork can be seen at Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in a group exhibition. This past October, she had a solo show at the gallery, with curator and owner Ruthie Tucker, stating, “Recognized as one of the 21st century’s premier floral painters, Nancy Balmert’s world-renowned floral paintings illustrate the visual heritage of the 19th-century French Impressionists as her expressionistic color palette immortalizes floral impressions of our beautiful world.”
Nancy Balmert, Tropical Hibiscus, oil on canvas, 36 x 36"
Sally Ruddy, Summer Cattails, oil on canvas, 11 x 14"
Dick McEvoy, Anemone Frenzy, oil and enamel, 36 x 48"
Of her painting Monet’s Bouquet, artist Pamela B. Padgett says, “I love painting from life but sometimes that’s not always possible. I came across this photo I took while visiting the kitchen in Monet’s home in Giverny, France. I loved the wildflowers and randomness of the ‘just picked’ disorganization of flowers. It’s so casual and messy. Trying to find the core structure was challenging and required careful study. I’ve never been a painter to follow one genre; I love it all. Figures, still life, landscapes. Somehow these messy and random flowers describe my personality...searching for a new place to grow.”
Dick McEvoy, Dancing Lilies, oil, 36 x 36"
Nance Franklin, Blooming Cereus, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"
Roni Lynn Doppelt, Bouquet, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48"
Artist Sally Ruddy says she frequently forgets all about a value scale when painting. “I am not that interested in the dark to light range,” she says. “What I do have is a natural inclination for color. I’m often told that I am a colorist, and that it can’t be taught. I like to feel my way through the colors. To me, the difference between being inspired by color, or value orientation, is the difference between the heart and head.”
Her painting Summer Cattails is a mid-tone work with bits of metallic gold in the texture and has thin lines to define the edges, while Rose Triad focuses on the pink that she says is often “difficult to replicate.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Abend Gallery
1412 Wazee Street, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 355-0950, www.abendgallery.com
Arden Gallery
129 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 247-0610, www.ardengallery.com
Dennis Perrin
Dennis Perrin Fine Art Gallery
125 Daniel Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 205-0425, (207) 400-4205
info@dennisperrinfineart.com
www.dennisperrinfineart.com
Dick McEvoy
51 Taunton Lake Road, Newtown, CT 06470
(203) 448-9525
www.dickmcevoypaintings.com
Lotton Gallery
900 N. Michigan Avenue, Level 6, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-6203
www.lottongallery.com
Nance Franklin
P.O. Box 1067, Bouse, AZ 85325
(307) 690-2298
www.nancefranklinfineart.com
Nancy Balmert
(713) 320-7190
nbalmert@comcast.net
www.nancybalmert.com
Pamela B. Padgett
www.pamelabpadgett.com
RJD Gallery
2385 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
(631) 725-1161
www.rjdgallery.com
Roni Lynn Doppelt
Roni Lynn D Gallery
329 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL 33480, (561) 271-8775
ronilynndoppelt@gmail.com
www.ronilynndoppelt.com
Sally Ruddy
info@sallyruddy.com
www.sallyruddy.com
Vose Galleries
238 Newbury Street. Boston, MA 02116
(617) 536-6176
www.vosegalleries.com
William Baczek Fine Arts
36 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 587-9880
www.wbfinearts.com
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